 |
Book
Reviews,
Book Lover Resources, Advice for Writers and Publishers |
| Home / Small
Press Bookwatch |
Small Press Bookwatch
Table of Contents
Reviewer's Choice
Conquer the Planet: A Modern-Day Global Enslavement Handbook
Sir Lawrence McAlister
Ingsoc Publishing
https://ingsocpublishing.com
9798218624934, $34.95, HC, 446pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Conquer-Planet-Modern-Day-Enslavement-Handbook/dp/B0F18TK82P
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/conquer-the-planet-lawrence-mcalister/1148244543
Synopsis: "I freed a thousand slaves; I could have freed a thousand more if only they knew they were slaves."
Whether Harriet Tubman or someone else made this comment, on our planet today, the opposite is true. I enslaved thousands and I will enslave thousands more because they don't realize they are so easily enslaved.
Do you want unlimited wealth and power?
Would you like to destroy your enemies and enrich your friends?
Are you willing to use others to achieve your goals?
Are you capable of ruling the entire planet?
Knowledge is power and with the publication of "Conquer the Planet: A Modern-Day Global Enslavement Handbook", Sir Lawrence McAlister has created a valuable DIY instructional guide revealing the hidden history and techniques that are essential to building your own world empire.
Are you cut out for global domination? Enter the privileged world of secrets and find out in the pages of "Conquer the Planet: A Modern-Day Global Enslavement Handbook".
Critique: Original, fascinating, iconoclastic, "Conquer the Planet: A Modern-Day Global Enslavement Handbook" by Sir Lawrence McAlister is comparable to Niccolo Machiavelli's "The Prince" and Sun Tzu's "The Art of War". In it, McAlister has given us a 'behind-the-scenes" look at how the political and economic elites manipulate and control average citizens, political systems, and the economy. Candid, informative, thought-provoking, and exceptionally 'reader friendly' in organization and presentation, "Conquer the Planet" is unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, and college/university library Political Science collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for political science students, academia, political activists/reformers, governmental policy makers, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that this hardcover edition of "Conquer the Planet" from Ingsoc Publishing is also readily available in paperback (9798218485047, $24.95) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Editorial Note: At Ingsoc Publishing LLC (https://ingsocpublishing.com) their purpose and mission is to share meaningful narratives that inspire readers to think, feel, and grow. They believe that great storytelling has the power to change lives, and are passionate about bringing readers the best in literature.
The Writing/Publishing Shelf
Award-Winning Publicity: 8 Media Boosters to Magnify Your Story
Liz H. Kelly
Goody PR Press
https://goodypr.com
9798234025197, $19.77, PB, 264pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Award-Winning-Publicity-Media-Boosters-Magnify/dp/B0GVSTDBQ3
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/award-winning-publicity-liz-h-kelly/1149845503
Synopsis: To help you shine a spotlight on your brand or book, with the publication of "Award-Winning Publicity: 8 Media Boosters to Magnify Your Story" professional publicist Liz H. Kelly provides an 8-Step Publicity Process in 8 easy-to-read chapters with real-life examples -- including an award-winning campaign and 20-minute PBS story about a client's book that won a Regional Emmy Award.
Based on 20+ years of marketing and PR experience booking thousands of interviews for clients, Goody PR Agency CEO/Founder and author Liz H. Kelly uncovers how to get earned media (TV, print, radio and podcasts) that can increase your brand awareness, trust, and credibility more than any paid ad.
"Award-Winning Publicist" is DIY how-to do public relations instructional guide that features award-winning media examples from Kelly's National Publicity Campaign for American Paper Optics / Eclipse Glasses. Kelly's innovative approach resulted in 54 TV interviews in only 8.5 months on all major media networks, and won 6 PR industry awards, including:
Best Publicity Campaign, 2025 Marcom Awards, Platinum
Best Public Relations Program, 2025 Marcom Awards, Platinum
Best Media Relations Campaign, 2024 Bulldog PR Awards, Gold
Using these strategies and tactics, Kelly also includes helpful tips based on securing coverage on the TODAY Show, CNN, BBC World News, NPR and Bloomberg Radio, and feature stories in People, Forbes, Fast Company and Psychology Today.
"Award-Winning Publicity" presents a Results-Driven Publicity Process in 3 Parts:
PART 1: Build PR Success Strategy: Story Magic and Creative Campaign Boosters
PART 2: Gain Positive Press Value: Media Outreach, Media Training and Media Relations Boosters
PART 3: Magnify and Measure Wins: Digital Marketing, Book Marketing and Top Media Boosters
Authors and entrepreneurs will:
Fail Forward, be resilient, and bounce back when you get a "No" from a producer.
Develop a Wow Story that gets a Reporter to say, "Yes."
Develop a PR Strategy, Creative Campaign and unique story ideas.
Research the Best Reporters and Pitch the Right Spokespeople at the Right Time.
Become a Superstar Spokesperson using Media Training Tips and the Power of 3s.
Build Long-term Media Relationships with Reporters, so you get invited back.
Maximize Your Reach with Digital Marketing Strategy and Video Campaigns.
Increase Your Book Marketing Results using our Author Checklist for Before, During and After Publishing.
Magnify and Measure Media and Business Wins with Positive Publicity that makes your story go viral.
Additionally, there is a Bonus Content comprised of insights from reporters and experts revealing what is the best time to contact journalists, the importance of sending visual assets (photos and video), and what grabs their attention most.
Critique: A comprehensive DIY instructional guide and 'how to' manual that is ideal for non-specialist general readers with no prior experience at creating and conducting publicity/marketing campaigns, "Award-Winning Publicity: 8 Media Boosters to Magnify Your Story" by Liz Kelly of Goody PR is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, and college/university library Public Relations, Media/Communications, Advertising/Marketing, and Publishing/Publicity collections and supplemental MBA curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note: Liz H. Kelly (https://goodypr.com) is the Award-Winning Goody PR agency and Goody Business Book Awards CEO/ Founder, Bestselling Author of 3 books, including Award-Winning Publicity (2026) and 8-Second PR (2022), Speaker, and Podcast Host whose primary mission is to magnify good through the power of positive publicity. With 20+ years of PR and marketing experience, Goody PR's top media coverage for clients include the TODAY Show, CNN, BBC World News, NPR, and in TIME, People, and Forbes. Kelly is a Johns Hopkins University Carey School of Business graduate, and a member of the National Press Club.
The Environmental Studies Shelf
What We Can't Burn
Eve Driver & Tom Osborn
Westwood Press
https://www.westwoodpress.com
9781958510032, $27.95, HC, 200pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/What-We-Cant-Burn-Friendship/dp/1958510033
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/what-we-cant-burn-eve-driver/1145411742
Synopsis: When they met as juniors at Harvard, Kenyan clean energy entrepreneur Tom Osborn and American climate writer Eve Driver did not get along. While a trip to Kenya over winter break sparked an unlikely friendship, it was tested back on campus amid the college's fossil fuel divestment campaign -- which Eve joined, and Tom opposed.
In fresh voices that are raw, funny, and lyrical, in the pages of "What We Can't Burn: Friendship and Friction in the Fight for Our Energy Future" the two of them take turns telling the story of their rocky but transformative friendship, which gripped and changed both of their minds.
"What We Can't Burn" shines a spotlight on the chasm in first-hand experiences, tactics, and hopes between two people from vastly different backgrounds and circumstances on the sibling issues of climate change and renewable energy. The result is a poignant story of coming of age in a generation divided about how to safe itself, and a testament to the power of humor and dialogue to bridge divides in the global climate movement.
Critique: Original, unique, exceptional, and both a fascinating and informative read from start to finish, "What We Can't Burn: Friendship and Friction in the Fight for Our Energy Future" is an especially and unreservedly recommended pick for personal, professional, community, and college/university library Environmental Issues and Climate Change Policy collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. Impressively well organized and presented, it should be noted that this hardcover edition of "What We Can't Burn: Friendship and Friction in the Fight for Our Energy Future" from Westwood Press is also readily available for students, academia, environmental activists, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Editorial Note #1: Eve Driver is a writer and strategist focused on the energy transition. Her writing has been published in the Tusculum Review, Harvard Magazine, Grist, Mongabay, Quartz, and Undark, and she has spoken on panels sponsored by the Better Future Project, Uprooted and Rising, and the Gull Island Institute. She has worked as a journalist in Nairobi, a strategy consultant in New York, and as a climate policy advisor at the U.S. Department of Energy.
Editorial Note #2: Tom Osborn is a community-oriented entrepreneur and co-founder of the Shamiri Institute - a public benefit organization that develops and scales mental healthcare to young people across Africa. He is a 2021 TED Fellow and global Forbes' 30 under 30 social entrepreneur and has won numerous national and international awards for his work, including World Deliver Social Entrepreneur of the year in 2016, the Donors' Circle for Africa Energy Prize, and many others. Africa Youth Awards named him as one of the 100 Most Influential Young Africans. Born and raised in rural Kenya, he graduated from Harvard University with a bachelor's in psychology. He lives in Nairobi.
The World History Shelf
The Political and Strategic History of the World, Vol. III
Conrad Black
www.conradmblack.com
World Encounter Institute
c/o New English Review Press
https://www.newenglishreview.org
9781966833093, $64.99, HC, 1040pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Political-Strategic-History-World-Vol/dp/1966833091
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-political-and-strategic-history-of-the-world-vol-iii-conrad-black/1149252838
Synopsis: "The Political and Strategic History of the World, Vol. III: Louis XIV to the Brink of World War I, A.D. 1661-1914" is the third volume of Conrad Black's magnificent series and opens with the assumption of direct rule by Louis XIV of France and then covers the great sweep of history with the rise of Russia, the decline of the Ottomans, the wars of the Spanish and Austrian successions, the Age of Discovery, the rise of India, China, and Japan, colonization of the New World, the Seven-Years' War, the American and French revolutions, the Napoleonic wars, the founding of the United States through the American Civil War, the Crimean War, the unification of Germany and Italy, and the decline of Pax Britannica prior to the start of World War I.
Writing with his usual panache, Conrad Black continues to delight his readers with his sagacious assessments of historical figures and events. He insists, and these volumes demonstrate, that history is shaped by individual decisions in specific times and places, and that human beings are active participants in the historical movements of the world, not passive victims of blind social forces. Many intriguing personalities come to life in these pages as our modern world slowly comes into view.
"The Political and Strategic History of the World, Vol. III: Louis XIV to the Brink of World War I, A.D. 1661-1914" is history for the history-lover and is also a mighty reference work to be returned to again and again. An essential addition for all home libraries to pass down to future generations that they may contemplate the doings of their ancestors, draw strength from their courage and tenacity, and revive hope in the certain knowledge that human society continues to progress despite the hardship and setbacks which often accompany it.
Critique: Massively comprehensive, deftly crafted, thoroughly 'reader friendly' in organization and presentation, "The Political and Strategic History of the World, Vol. III: Louis XIV to the Brink of World War I, A.D. 1661-1914" is an extraordinary and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, and college/university library World History collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for students, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that this hardcover edition of "The Political and Strategic History of the World, Vol. III: Louis XIV to the Brink of World War I, A.D. 1661-1914" from the World Encounter Institute and the New English Review Press is also readily available in paperback (9781966833208, $49.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Editorial Note: Lord Conrad Black (www.conradmblack.com) is a Canadian-born British peer, and former publisher of The London Daily Telegraph, The Spectator, The Chicago Sun-Times, The Jerusalem Post, and founder of Canada's National Post. Historian, biographer, columnist, and best-selling author, he is a regular contributor to numerous publications, podcasts, radio, and television In the United States, Canada, and Great Britain. Lord Black has published comprehensive histories of both Canada and the United States, as well as authoritative biographies of Maurice Duplessis, and presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt, Richard M. Nixon, and Donald J. Trump. He is a dual-citizen (Canada and the U.K.) and was named a member of the British House of Lords as Lord Black of Crossharbour in 2001. His latest work is The Political and Strategic History of the World in four volumes of which this is the third volume.
The Education Shelf
Make School Work
Alexandra Levit, Stephanie Loeck, and Stephanie Reisner, authors
Independently Published
9798275776768, $14.99, PB, 190pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Make-School-WorkTM-Employment-Work-Based/dp/B0GHC73M5V
Synopsis: Work-based learning can transform education, but only if we stop treating it like a side project.
Demand for work-based learning (WBL) has reached unprecedented levels as education and workforce systems search for solutions to today's most pressing challenges. Yet despite growing investment and enthusiasm, most WBL initiatives struggle to scale while maintaining quality with employers often don't know where to start, schools face rigid schedules, which result in providing limited capacity for employer engagement, and students (especially in marginalized communities) and a lack access to authentic learning experiences.
With the publication of "Make School Work: Solving the American Youth Employment Crisis Through Work-Based Learning", co-authors Alexandra Levit, Stephanie Loeck, and Stephanie Reisner shares the lessons learned along the way -- the strategies that worked, the assumptions that didn't, and the decisions that made the difference.
Through its proven six-part framework, grounded in the 4 As (Authenticity, Aspirations, Abilities, Agency) "Make School Work: Solving the American Youth Employment Crisis Through Work-Based Learning" helps educators to avoid common pitfalls, shorten the learning curve, and move beyond trial-and-error toward systems that reliably benefit students, employers, and communities at scale.
Written specifically for educators, intermediaries, employers, policymakers, and community leaders who are ready to move beyond isolated programs and build work-based learning systems that last, "Make School Work: Solving the American Youth Employment Crisis Through Work-Based Learning" offers:
An explanation of work-based learning stalls and what it takes to build high-quality systems that scale.
A practical guide to a proven six-part framework, grounded in the 4 As, for aligning education and workforce partners.
Access to a personalized WBL Readiness and Capacity Assessment, plus practical resources and tools to move from vision to action
A clear path to equitable, sustainable work-based learning that delivers real outcomes for students, employers, and communities.
Critique: A seminal and groundbreaking study researched and written by the team of education professionals Alexandra Levit, Stephanie Loeck, Stephanie Reisner, "Make School Work: Solving the American Youth Employment Crisis Through Work-Based Learning" is an extraordinary and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, K-12 school district, community, and college/university library Education Theory collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. Ideal as a textbook for K-12 school district in-service training curriculums it should be noted that this paperback edition of "Make School Work" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Editorial Note: GPS Ed (https://gpsed.org) is a nonprofit organization that has been leading the work-based learning revolution in Wisconsin for more than 25 years. It now plans to take on the challenges of a growing education and workforce gap at the national level.
The Parenting Shelf
Was It Worth It?
Carol Jean Wilson Allen
Rand-Smith Books
www.Rand-Smith.com
9781950544554, $28.00, HC, 194pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Was-Worth-Create-Purposeful-Parenting/dp/1950544559
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/was-it-worth-it-carol-jean-wilson-allen/1146473324
Synopsis: With the publication of "Was It Worth It?: How to Create Your Own Purposeful Parenting Plan", author and parent Carol Jean Wilson Allen offers a powerful exploration of resilience, love, and purposeful parenting. This compelling blend of memoir and practical guide shares the remarkable journey of a single Black mother who defied the odds to raise daughters who now thrive both personally and professionally.
More than just a story, "Was It Worth It?" introduces the Purposeful Parenting Plan (PPP) -- a carefully crafted framework designed to empower parents with strategic, intentional tools for nurturing successful, well-rounded adults. Drawing from cutting-edge behavioral theories and deeply personal experiences, it offers both practical advice and relatable insights that shaped her daughters' paths to success.
Through candid reflections, the author recounts the sleepless nights, the self-doubt, and the unwavering determination that led to the creation of this comprehensive roadmap for parenting. Readers will experience the triumphs and setbacks that defined our journey and witness the rewarding outcome-two flourishing adult daughters. In revealing interviews, her daughters and grandchildren reflect on the lasting impact of these methods and principles on their lives.
Critique: Original, practical, effective, motivational, inspiring, "Was It Worth It?: How to Create Your Own Purposeful Parenting Plan" is an extraordinary guide for new (and even experienced) parents wanting to help their children grow into successful adult. An inherently fascinating read from start to finish, "Was It Worth It?: How to Create Your Own Purposeful Parenting Plan" is an exceptional and unreservedly recommended pick for family, professional, and community library Parenting collections. It should be noted personal reading lists that this hardcover edition of "Was It Worth It?: How to Create Your Own Purposeful Parenting Plan" from Rand-Smith Books is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
The Wildlife Shelf
Deer Mother
David Heritsch, author and photographer
Pike River Press
www.pikeriverpress.com
9798992980806, $23.95 list / $18.95 publisher discount, PB, 128pp
Pike River Press
https://www.pikeriverpress.com/store/p/deer-mother-book
Synopsis: "Deer Mother: The Tale of a Wild Mother Named Daisy" by David Heritsch is an intimate family photo album that chronicles the life of one very friendly White-Tailed Deer and her many fun-loving fawns that was taken over the years. Daisy is a skilled and dedicated mother, and her fawns have brought immense joy, and many fond memories, many of which are illustrated in this, David Heritsch's first self-published book of nature photography.
When David and his family built their home on a small, wooded lake in Northern Wisconsin, they looked forward to a life surrounded by wild creatures. They never imagined that they would be sharing their place with a family of deer who would be peeping in their windows when they would wake up in the morning.
"Deer Mother is a compendium of full color photographs of wildlife in action, including spotted cherubs splashing around the pond, racing through the snow, and flashing their fluffy white tails. The quiet moments shared between Daisy and her babies are precious, charming, and memorable.
Critique: This large format (8 1/2 in. X 11 in.) paperback edition of "Deer Mother: The Tale of a Wild Mother Named Daisy" from Pike River Press is magnificently illustrated throughout with a total of 215 full color photographs and features an inherently interesting commentary by author and photographer David Heritsch. Available directly from the publisher, "Deer Mother" is a unique and unreservedly recommended pick for personal, community, and college/university library Wildlife collections.
Editorial Note: Pike River Press is an independent publisher of books, calendars, greeting cards, and related items. They also offer photographic prints of images from their books, as well as enlargements of images from their extensive library of wildlife and landscape photography.
The Biography/Memoir Shelf
I Couldn't Tell You
Sarah Deschamps
www.sarahdeschamps.com
Gatekeeper Press
https://gatekeeperpress.com
9781662971525, $26.99, HC, 290pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Couldnt-Tell-You-Daughters-Overcome/dp/1662971524
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/i-couldnt-tell-you-sarah-deschamps/1149705447
Synopsis: "I Couldn't Tell You: The True Story of a Mother and Daughter's Journey to Overcome Their Mental Health Demons" is Sarah Deschamps powerful memoir that continues her life story that began with the publication of "Journey to Japan: A Life-Saving Memoir" -- revealing what happened after a family believed the worst was finally behind them.
After years of medical crisis overseas, Sarah and her family return to the United States hopeful that their young daughter's health battles are over. Instead, a devastating diagnosis triggers a new and far more complicated struggle -- one that unfolds not only in hospitals, but in the hearts and minds of a mother and child.
As physical illness gives way to emotional and psychological trauma, "I Couldn't Tell You" explores how medical hardship can fracture family dynamics, identity, and trust. Sarah's candid account traces her daughter's descent into fear, anger, and despair, and her own parallel unraveling as a parent desperate to protect the child she loves.
Honest, fast-paced, and deeply moving, this continuing memoir sheds light on the hidden toll of chronic illness and the strength required to keep going when hope feels out of reach.
Critique: Exceptional, candid, "I Couldn't Tell You: The True Story of a Mother and Daughter's Journey to Overcome Their Mental Health Demons" is a simply fascinating and emotionally engaging read from cover to cover. Intensely personal yet with a universal resonance, "I Couldn't Tell You" is an extraordinary account and one that is unreservedly recommended for community and college/university library Contemporary American Biography/Memoir collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that this hardcover edition of "I Couldn't Tell You" from Gatekeeper Press is also readily available in paperback (9781662971532, $18.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Editorial Note: Sarah Deschamps (www.sarahdeschamps.com) is a memoirist and nonprofit development professional whose writing explores family, resilience, and the lasting impact of medical trauma. A former teacher and administrator in the United States and Japan, she later raised millions of dollars for nonprofit organizations. Her debut memoir, Journey to Japan: A Life-Saving Memoir, has been published internationally. Through her work, Deschamps brings empathy and honesty to stories of survival, parenting, and the emotional complexity of healing.
My Ailing Champion: A Memoir
Demetrius Koubourlis PhD
https://koubourlisbooks.com
Independently Published
9798218389420, $14.99, PB, 260pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Ailing-Champion-DEMETRIUS-KOUBOURLIS-PHD/dp/B0D5VJH53G
Synopsis: "My Ailing Champion: A Memoir" is a memoir of what life was like in the harsh environment of the Nazi occupation in Greece and the many obstacles that Demetrius Koubourlis faced to get an education in the post-WW II years.
Family and community leaders opposed education. His mother prevented him from reading books. Yet Demetrius overcame all obstacles with heroic persistence and some luck and completed his secondary education.
To secure free labor, his father promised his support for higher education but twice deceived the son. His sisters' dowries were a significant impediment. Ultimately, the family beat him up and then tossed him into the streets hungry, penniless, and jobless, robbing him of his education dream forever.
It was immigrating to America that enabled Demetrius to get a college education and eventually earn a Ph.D.
In the pages of his memoir, "My Ailing Champion", Demetrius expresses his deep gratitude for a chance at the American Dream and bemoans the current state of America -- his ailing champion. He casts a hopeful note stemming from America's noble character and long-term aspirations, concluding that, far from being perfect, America is nevertheless the best country the world has ever known.
Demetrius Koubourlis defines education as the ability to apply critical thinking. He strives to do so with an honest examination of his life and our world and seeks objectivity in promising dialog of opposing viewpoints; he doesn't shy away from delving into some of the fundamental differences between Communism and Capitalism while suggesting a way to settle diverging viewpoints. Maturing in America, Demetrius developed his critical thinking abilities and prefers evolution to revolution, and conversation to confrontation when attempting to find common ground.
Critique: Timely, candid, inspiring, and an inherently fascinating read from start to finish, "My Ailing Champion: A Memoir" is the extraordinary life story of an extraordinary man and a welcome, unreservedly recommended addition to personal reading lists, as well as community and college/university library Contemporary American Biography/Memoir collections. A vivid illustration of the value of immigrants to the American populace, it should be noted that this paperback edition of "My Ailing Champion: A Memoir" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $7.99).
Editorial Note: Demetrius Koubourlis (https://koubourlisbooks.com) is a Greek native who became an American citizen. He is the very embodiment of a self-made man. He achieved the highest academic degree after overcoming hunger, homelessness, and hopelessness. He has known failure and success, rags and riches. Dr. Koubourlis completed his graduate and post-graduate education in the United States; he was a professor at several major US universities and rapidly rose to tenured full professor. He has spent considerable time in several countries and is fluent in several languages. His exposure to different languages and cultures is reflected in his writing.
The General Fiction Shelf
Lucky Day: We could all use a little luck
Cary Snowden
https://carysnowden.com
Snowydancer Productions
https://luckydaybook.com
9798992963144, $13.99, PB, 305pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Lucky-Day-could-little-luck/dp/B0GSWLZD56
Synopsis: The Thompson family arrives in Hawaii for their first long-awaited vacation to the tropics. It feels like their lucky day until an unexpected warning shatters the calm and sends the island into chaos.
What begins as a desperate race to escape a catastrophic natural disaster quickly spirals into something far more disturbing.
As they fight to survive, unsettling clues point to a second threat rising in the aftermath. One that may not be natural at all. The tide is turning. The window to escape is closing. They're going to need more than luck.
Why is it that sometimes the best vacation stories are the ones you barely survive?
Critique: Original, engaging, and all the more impressive when noted that "Lucky Day" is author Cary Snowden's debut as a novelist and exhibits a considerable gift for the kind of character and narrative driven storytelling style that makes for riveting reading for suspense/thriller fans -- and elevates her novel to an impressive level of literary excellence. While unreservedly recommended for both personal reading lists and community library Contemporary General Fiction collections, it should be noted that this paperback edition of "Lucky Day" from Snowydancer Productions is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $4.99).
Editorial Note: Cary Snowden (https://carysnowden.com) writes high-stakes thrillers that blend scientific realism, relentless pacing, and ordinary people forced into extraordinary situations. His stories are driven by pressure, consequences, and the kinds of decisions that reveal character when everything is on the line. By day, Cary works in high-tech product marketing, where clear thinking, strategy, and storytelling are just as important as they are on the page.
The Compass Room
Mark James
https://www.markjamesauthor.com
North Arrow Press
https://www.northarrowpress.com
9781969608063, $18.99, PB, 353pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1969608110
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-compass-room-mark-james/1148730615
Synopsis: The war was over before it even started. In the aftermath of disaster, more than 200,000 Americans are stranded in hostile territory, and Washington reels from a conflict it never imagined losing.
Across Europe, unrest spreads while America's allies falter, divided and indecisive -- much like America's own President. In contrast, Turkey moves boldly to expand its reach, while Russia and China seize the moment to press their advantage.
Vice President George "Daddy Longlegs" Wartmann now faces his greatest test: holding a fractured nation together as political polarization deepens, impeachment looms, unrest grows at home, markets crash, and enemies maneuver abroad.
Every choice carries peril, and survival may depend on finding direction in a world turned upside down.
Critique: Given an amazing credibility by the politics (and politicians) of today, "The Compass Room" by Mark James is the sequel to "Friendship Games" and continues the geopolitical saga of George Wartmann. A dystopian tale of the downfall of America as a global superpower, "The Compass Room" is an inherently fascinating read from start to finish. A riveting page-turner of a read, "The Compass" from North Arrow Press is an unreservedly recommended pick for personal reading lists and community library Political Suspense/Technothriller collections.
Editorial Note: Mark James (https://www.markjamesauthor.com) writes intelligent, research-driven geopolitical thrillers and dystopian fiction. His award-winning novel Friendship Games reimagines the USS Maine incident that sparked the Spanish (American War of 1898) only this time it's a U.S. aircraft carrier sinking in the Persian Gulf, plunging America into crisis. The novel earned a Kirkus Star, was chosen as one of Kirkus Reviews' Best Books of the Year, and received a Bronze Medal from the Military Writers Society of America.
Frozen Freight: Iron Reach
J. R. Elrod
Mercer House Publishing
9798993853505, $18.99, PB, 280pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Frozen-Freight-Reach-Elrod-Jr/dp/B0GX7PRMW4
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/frozen-freight-jr-elrod/1149874851
Synopsis: When a team of civilian truckers is tasked with hauling classified cargo from Florida to a secret military base in Newfoundland, the road ahead turns into a gauntlet of storms, sabotage, and sacrifice.
Critique: A deftly crafted novel by veteran truck driver J. R. Elrod, "Frozen Freight: Iron Reach" is a riveting and detailed story of the endurance, the loyalty, the skill, and the grit it takes to keep the wheels turning when everything freezes over -- and that's just the beginning of things going wrong. "Frozen Freight: Iron Reach" is the first title in a planned 'Frozen Freight' series and an unreservedly recommended pick for both personal reading lists and community library contemporary action/adventure fiction collections.
Editorial Note: JR Elrod has been a commercial truck driver/owner operator for over thirty years across the forty-eight states and Canada and a private pilot since 2019.
The Historical Fiction Shelf
West of Westport
Alan E. Craven
Milford House Press
c/o Sunbury Press
https://www.sunburypress.com/collections/milford-house
9798888193594, $19.95, PB, 213pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/West-Westport-Alan-Craven/dp/B0G6ZHDFCF
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/west-of-westport-alan-e-craven/1149186629
Synopsis: Long before the first Southern states had left the Union and before Fort Sumter in South Carolina fell, sectarian violence dominated the Kansas Territory: buildings and crops were burned, settlers beaten or shot, so that across the country, newspaper headlines called the Territory "Bleeding Kansas."
In a sequel to author Alan E. Craven's novel "Till We Have Built Jerusalem" (which followed Ezra Middleton during the Civil War years in Kansas), "West of Westport" treats Ezra, a young attorney and correspondent for the St. Louis Globe Democrat, during the tumultuous post-war years along the Kansas Border.
Kansans still did not like Missouri and, for their part, Missourians felt a similar enmity toward their neighbors to the west. Although the town of Lawrence had changed after the War with the arrival of the Central Overland Company (the telegraph) and the Pacific Railroad, old memories persisted along with new fears and grievances.
Ezra has finally decided to abandon his work as a news correspondent to concentrate on his profession as an attorney in Lawrence, surrounded by old friends, Eli Foster, Big Ears King, the half-breed Little Joe Oscar, the disgraced Governor Charles Robinson, and the enigmatic Missourian Colonel Frederick Maypole, and Ezra's wife, Hannah, and their growing family.
But, more violence lay ahead.
Critique: Original, featuring memorable characters and unexpected plot twists, "West of Westport" continues the saga of Ezra Middleton on the eve of what would become the American Civil War. This was a time of violence, guerilla war style raids, and Bloody Kansas. A simply riveting read from start to finish, "West of Westport" is especially recommended for community library Historical Fiction collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists of Civil War Era action/adventure fans that this paperback edition of "West of Westport" from the Milford House Press is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $7.99).
Editorial Note: Alan Elliott Craven is a retired Shakespeare scholar, a former college dean, and the author of "Till We Have Built Jerusalem". His family has deep Midwestern roots, the Cravens settling in Missouri before 1830. As boys, his father and uncle knew the outlaw Frank James in Kearney, Clay County, Missouri. His mother's family moved to Kansas in 1861, the year the state was admitted to the Union. They homesteaded at Dry Ridge, Bourbon County, Kansas. Nine boys in the family fought for the Union in the Civil War, including his great-grandfather. In the presidential election of 1860, his great- great- grandfather and two other men were the only ones in their precinct to cast votes for Abraham Lincoln.
And The Ancestors Sing
Radha Lin Chaddah
https://www.radhalinchaddah.com
Rising Action Publishing Collective
9781998672202, $18.99, PB, 432pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Ancestors-Sing-Radha-Lin-Chaddah/dp/1998672204
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/and-the-ancestors-sing-radha-lin-chaddah/1147688427
Synopsis: In 1978, as Mao Tse-tung's Cultural Revolution fades into history, Lei is bartered away into marriage for two cartons of cigarettes and a handful of eggs. She finds herself in the unfamiliar village of her new husband where she is met with indifference. When a disaster upends their world, Lei and her husband are forced to join China's vast wave of city-bound, rural migrants, leaving behind children whom they may never see again.
Sixteen-year-old LuLu arrives in Shanghai with nothing but ambition. Denied a factory job and determined to keep her family from starving, she turns to sex work, navigating the dangers of the city's underbelly with sharp wit and a fierce will to survive. When a powerful client offers her a chance at security, LuLu faces an impossible choice: seize a future that could lift her family from poverty, or risk everything for a life on her own terms.
Critique: Original, deftly crafted, compelling, and an inherently fascinating read from cover to cover, "And The Ancestors Sing" by Radha Lin Chaddah, with its unique multigenerational story arc rises to an impressive level of literary excellence due to the character and narrative driven storytelling talents of its author. Unreservedly recommended for community and college/university library Literary Fiction collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that this paperback edition of "And The Ancestors Sing" from the Rising Action Publishing Collective is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $10.99).
Editorial Note: Born in London to an East Indian father and a Malaysian Chinese mother, Radha Lin Chaddah (https://www.radhalinchaddah.com) grew up in Kenya, the UK, and the US. She majored in Biology at the University of Chicago, earned medical and law degrees at the University of Illinois, and a Master of Public Health at Harvard University. She completed Internal Medicine residency training, and later practiced at Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School in Boston. Along the way, Radha developed a deep commitment to patient advocacy, to "meeting the patients where they are", and to combating stigma around mental health. She worked with the China CDC to co-write the book, HIV/ AIDS: Beyond the Numbers; and provided mental healthcare to patients in several states as a telemedicine doctor upon settling in Philadelphia.
The Well-Tempered Violinist
Barbara T. Carlton
www.btcarltonwriter.com
Acorn Publishing
https://www.acornpublishingllc.com
9798885281348, $27.99, HC, 402pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Well-Tempered-Violinist-Barbara-T-Carlton/dp/B0G4B5HL27
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-well-tempered-violinist-barbara-t-carlton/1148322333
Synopsis: Marthe Adler dreams of making history as a great violinist. But in 1905 Germany, tradition and deep-seated prejudice against women musicians stand in her way. To make matters worse, her beloved father's sudden death shatters her family's comfortable life, pushing them to the edge of poverty.
But the violin Marthe's father left her is a constant reminder of the profound bond between them, and it gives her the strength to begin healing. When the Koln Conservatory offers her an unexpected scholarship, she seizes her chance to reach for excellence.
Under the rigorous tutelage of Professorin Wolff, and subjected to predatory harassment by a fellow student determined to destroy both her self-worth and her chances of success, Marthe quickly learns she will need more than motivation and talent to rise to the top.
Critique: Original, deftly crafted, emotionally engaging, and a simply compelling read from start to finish, "The Well-Tempered Violinist" showcases author Barbara Carlton's genuine flair for the kind of character and narrative driven storytelling style that is distinctive and well suited to a story of an early 20th Century struggle for a woman to make her way in a field (music) dominated by men. While especially and unreservedly recommended for community library General Fiction collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that this hardcover edition of "The Well-Tempered Violinist" from Acorn Publishing is also readily available in paperback (9798885281331, $17.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Editorial Note: Retired architect Barbara Thornburgh Carlton (www.btcarltonwriter.com) is an author of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. Though not a musician, she remains music-adjacent as a volunteer for the San Diego Opera and the Orcas Island Chamber Music Festival in Washington. Her debut novel "The Well-Tempered Violinist" is Book I of the The Gift quadrilogy.
The Literary Fiction Shelf
Winter of My Spring
Fartumo Kusow
https://fartumokusow.com
SparkPress
c/o Spark Point Studio
www.gosparkpress.com
9781684633500, $17.99, PB, 296pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Winter-My-Spring-Fartumo-Kusow/dp/1684633508
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/winter-of-my-spring-fartumo-kusow/1147593190
Synopsis: Set in the Lower Shabeele region of Somalia, "Winter of My Spring" by Fartumo Kusow is a story of what happens to Rada and her friends Mika and Sara after they are kidnapped by Al-Shabaab and forced to become child brides. For months, the girls live in fear and endure the harshest of conditions among their extremist kidnappers -- but after Rada and Mika see Sara die as a suicide bomber, they know they must escape.
After running away from their captors, Rada and Mika manage to return home, only to find themselves rejected by their community because they've "known a man's bed" and are therefore, according to their customs, considered ruined and broken women.
"Winter of My Spring" explores what happens to kidnapped girls during their captivity in the Somalia civil war. After they survive the violence and abuse of their abductors, Rada and Mika are forced to navigate a world that denies them autonomy, yet they find resilience and hope in the process of healing and self-discovery.
Critique: With an impressive realism by Somalian refugee/immigrant Fartumo Kusow, "Winter of My Spring" is an extraordinary and vividly rendered tale of the horrific treatment of women and young girls in a bitter, savage, and brutal war. Although a work of fiction, it is based on factual reports of what happened to hundreds of Somalian girls. A deftly crafted and truly memorable read from start to finish, "Winter of My Spring" is unreservedly recommended for community library Contemporary Fiction collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that this paperback edition of Winter of My Spring" from SparkPress is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.99).
Editorial Note: Fartumo Kusow (https://fartumokusow.com) was born in Somalia but immigrated to Canada in 1991 at the start of Somalia's civil war. Her novel Tale of a Boon's Wife, published in 2017, received positive reviews from Harvard Review, Booklist, and This Magazine. Her first novel, Amran, was serialized in October Star, Somalia's national newspaper, in 1984. She is the creator and host of two podcasts: Break the Silence, Build a Future, dedicated to advocacy and empowering survivors of intimate partner violence, and My Mother: The Person and the Patient. Fartumo lives in Canada.
My Destiny
Liang Xiaosheng, author
Howard Goldblatt, translator
Long River Press
c/o China Books & Periodicals
https://www.chinabooks.com
9781592652723, $24.95, PB, 388pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/My-Destiny-Novel-Xiaosheng-Liang/dp/1592652727
Synopsis: "My Destiny" is author Liang Xiaosheng's first novel after winning the Mao Dun Literature Prize for fiction. It tells the remarkable stories of the struggles of ordinary people and the migration from rural to urban life in contemporary China.
In his signature style of realism, Liang follows the exploits of two young workers in the bustling southern Chinese city of Shenzhen, depicting the profound entanglement between human nature and fate, presenting the multi-dimensional dialectic of misfortune and happiness, and pondering what constitutes a home and what constitutes a person. The fate of ordinary people reflects the changes of the times, records the modernization of rural China, and also foreshadows what kind of future we can have.
A bestseller in China and the subject of a popular television miniseries, this English language edition has been ably translated by renowned literary scholar Howard Goldblatt, who is the translator of the Nobel Prize-winning work of Mo Yan, among many other works.
"My Destiny" is sure to introduce Western readers to Liang Xiaosheng's unique talent and literary style, whose work continues to influence readers in China and worldwide.
Critique: Original, deftly crafted, and an engaging, fascinating read from start to finish, "My Destiny" by Liang Xiaosheng (as translated into English by Howard Goldblatt) showcases the author's genuine flair for the kind of character and narrative driven storytelling style that lifts his novel to an impressive level of literary elegance. This paperback edition of "My Destiny" from Long River Press is an especially and unreservedly recommended pick for personal reading lists, as well as community and college/university library Contemporary International Literary Fiction collections.
Editorial Note #1: There is an online listing of books by Liang Xiaosheng available at Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/372076.Liang_Xiaosheng
Editorial Note #2: Howard Goldblatt was a research professor of Chinese at the University of Notre Dame from 2002 to 2011. He is the American literary translator of numerous works of contemporary Chinese (mainland China & Taiwan) fiction, including The Taste of Apples by Huang Chunming and The Execution of Mayor Yin by Chen Ruoxi. Goldblatt also translated works of Chinese novelist and 2012 Nobel Prize in Literature winner Mo Yan, including six of Mo Yan's novels and collections of stories.
The Watersmith
Yance Wyatt
https://www.yancewyatt.com
Regal House Publishing
https://regalhousepublishing.com
9781646037414, $19.95, PB, 224pp
Publishing Release Date: August 11, 2026
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Watersmith-Yance-Wyatt/dp/1646037413
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-watersmith-yance-wyatt/1148201838
Synopsis: When hard-drinking handyman Jack Calloway discovers an old moonshine still behind the Smoky Mountain cabin he plans to flip, his teenage son dares him to get it running. Jack accepts -- until his wife, Jolene, tries to sabotage the first batch and is horribly burned in the process.
Wracked with guilt, Jack sends their son away and moves Jolene into the cabin to recover while he tries to sober up. Doctors diagnose Jolene with a rare post-traumatic dementia that responds only to scent -- smell being the strongest trigger of memory. Desperate to help, Jack begins distilling essential oils from her favorite flowers, searching for the one that might bring her back.
When a fleeting moment of clarity during a visit from their son slips away again, Jack grows frantic -- willing to distill anything in his grasp to reach her.
A haunting, tender tale of love, regret, and the volatile bonds between parents and children, "The Watersmith" is a compelling story of oil and water, memory and mercy -- and how far one man will go to bring his family home.
Critique: Original, deftly crafted, and an inherently fascinating read from start to finish, author Yance Wyatt's character and narrative driven storytelling style elevates "The Water Smith" to an impressive level of literary excellence. The fact that "The Water Smith" is his debut as a novelist is particularly noteworthy. While especially and unreservedly recommended for community and college/university library Contemporary American Literary Fiction collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that this paperback edition of "The Water Smith" from Regal House Publishing is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Editorial Note: Yance Wyatt (https://www.yancewyatt.com) studied fiction at the University of Southern California, where he now teaches writing. His stories have appeared in dozens of nationally circulated literary journals and received multiple Pushcart Prize nominations.
The Mystery/Suspense Shelf
Deep End: A Deaf Row Mystery
Ron Franscell
Outskirts Press, Inc.
www.outskirtspress.com
Blackstone Publishing
https://www.blackstonelibrary.com
9781977288707, $24.95, PB, 246pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Deep-End-Deaf-Row-Mystery/dp/1977288707
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/deep-end-ron-franscell/1149523786
Synopsis: When a Colorado cannabis billionaire is assassinated, retired Denver homicide cop Woodrow "Mountain" Bell is pulled back into the inferno-one that sparked half a century earlier at a vanished hippie commune called Jericho. As Bell digs into the ashes, he uncovers links between the mogul and a charismatic killer who once fled those same mountains. Now, with the old codgers of "Deaf Row" at his side, Bell must face ghosts, secrets, and the unholy marriage of idealism and greed before the past burns the living one last time.
He's got help, whether he wants it or not. His aging morning coffee cronies at Midnight's Tommyknockers Diner-they call themselves "Deaf Row"-a raucous klatsch comprising the retired newspaper editor, an old priest, town doctor, fire chief, and assorted other local codgers who disguise affection for and loyalty to each other as insult and banter. These old men are wrestling with the creeping sense they're growing invisible. But they're not only Bell's Greek chorus and conscience, they're his motley crew of "forensic" experts who help him solve-sometimes unwittingly-the riddles in which he's tangled.
As the investigation deepens, Bell uncovers a haunting link between Toohey's death and a 1970 double murder at the hippie commune of Jericho, a case once dismissed as a relic of the counterculture. Bell begins to pull loose threads that lead him far from Denver's glass towers and back into the past. His peculiar trail winds through Deep End, a dying mining village now inhabited by aging hippies, grifters, and holy fools-including Sky Colfax, an 80-something tavern owner whose past doesn't fit the stories he tells. What he finds instead is a fugitive identity that has been hiding in plain sight for half a century-and a reckoning that erupts in fire when Bell confronts a man who has lived under stolen names and polished grudges for too long.
Bell's allies are as unlikely and colorful as the case itself. Fancy O'Neil, the sharp-tongued waitress at the coffee shop where Bell and his cronies gather, is a former hippie chick herself and sheds new light on the distant past. SAC Dani Silva of the Colorado Bureau of Investigation, and Bell's old partner, Det. Jazz Jackson of Denver Homicide, lend procedural power. And there's Charlie Maloney, Bell's independent girlfriend recovering from cancer surgery, who lends him her sharp pragmatism and quiet emotional strength.
Critique: Original, deftly crafted, "Deep End" by Ron Franscell is a fun and fascinating read. It's interesting to note that as an author, Franscell acknowledges the influence of his own decades of experience covering crime. A crime novel that, thanks to his genuine flair for the kind of character and narrative driven storytelling style, has raised "Deep End" to an impressive level of literary excellence. While especially and unreservedly recommended for personal reading lists and community library Mystery/Suspense collections, it should be noted that this paperback edition of "Deep End" from Outskirts Press is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99) and as a complete and unabridged audio book (Blackstone Publishing, 9798228846838, $35.95, MP3-CD).
Editorial Note: Ron Franscell is an acclaimed journalist and the Edgar-nominated author of 20 books, including the international true-crime bestsellers The Darkest Night and ShadowMan: An Elusive Psycho Killer and the Birth of FBI Profiling. His debut novel Angel Fire-a USA Today bestselling literary novel about two brothers' necessary relationship and the wounds of war-was listed by the San Francisco Chronicle among the 100 Best Novels of the 20th Century West.
Public Comment
S. L. Jacobs
https://www.susanljacobs.com
Independently Published
9798245459455, $29.99, HC, 236pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Public-Comment-S-L-Jacobs/dp/B0GJPHGBDR
Synopsis: "Public Comment" by S. J. Jacobs holds up a satiric small-town mirror to governance as a really good place to hide murderous secrets.
Wendell Williams, a stunted and narcissistic groundskeeper at a local golf course, contemplates and commits a couple of murders. He has his reasons (tremendous reasons), and the golf course proves convenient for his purposes. To keep his secrets buried, he convinces half the townspeople that he is a visionary leader and that any development of the golf course property is not in the interests of the town.
But Debra Wolfson, a plump, middle-aged family-law mediator and dedicated selectwoman with a fondness for oatmeal raisin cookies, finds herself on a collision course with the mendacious Wendell. While everyone is losing their heads over the turmoil that Wendell purposefully stokes, Debra is determined to keep hers and expose Wendell as a charlatan who has no business getting elected to public office.
Critique: Original, nicely laced with satirical humor, featuring an amateur female sleuth, and with a strong appeal to cozy mystery fans, "Public Comment" showcases author Susan Jacobs impressive and authentic character and narrative driven storytelling style. A fun read from cover to cover, "Public Comment" is an especially and unreservedly recommended pick for community library Contemporary Mystery/Suspense collections. It should be noted be noted for personal reading lists that this hardcover edition of "Public Comment" is also readily available in paperback (9781959748366, $15.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $5.98).
Editorial Note: S. L. Jacobs (https://www.susanljacobs.com) over the course of nearly four decades has been an active participant in the Town of Woodbridge. She has been elected or appointed to multiple municipal boards, commissions, and committees and has twice been a delegate to the state political convention. Currently, she is chair of the board of finance. All of these elected and appointed positions are on a volunteer basis, and mostly all are subject to the legal and actual requirement of public comment.
Mob Justice
Chad Boudreaux
https://www.chadboudreaux.com
Capitol House Publishing
9798993583907, $19.99, PB, 426pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Mob-Justice-Scavenger-Hunt-Thriller/dp/B0GS1VX5L6
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/mob-justice-chad-boudreaux/1149725024
Synopsis: After surviving a terrorist nightmare, Justice Department lawyer Blake Hudson takes on a new enemy: the Chicago mafia. Assigned to the Organized Crime Strike Force, he dives into a world that's nothing like the movies. The Chicago Outfit may still live in Al Capone's shadow, but its power has evolved -- slicker, smarter, and more dangerous than ever.
At its center is Enzo Renzi -- a polished consigliere with an Ivy League mind and a conscience buried beneath layers of loyalty. To Blake, he's the key to bringing the Outfit down. To others, he's a marked man. Ruthless killers close in, and neither Enzo nor Blake knows who's behind the crosshairs.
When a secret meeting between rival gangs threatens to ignite a citywide war, Blake races to stop it -- only to uncover something far darker than mob violence: a hidden network whose reach extends deep into America's institutions.
Critique: Original, deftly crafted, and a simply riveting read from first page to last, "Mob Justice" by Chad Bourdreaux will be of immense interest for fans of organized crime stories. With the authors genuinely impressive flair as a novelist for the kind of narrative driven storytelling skills that make his characters and plot twists so compelling, "Mob Justice" is an especially and unreservedly recommended pick for community library Contemporary Suspense/Thriller collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that this paperback edition of "Mob Justice" from Capitol House Publishing is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $4.99).
Editorial Note: Chad Boudreaux (https://www.chadboudreaux.com) is a Washington insider hired by the US Department of Justice (DOJ) the night before the September 11, 2001, attacks which launched him immediately into counter-terrorism work that earned him high accolades at an early age. His success at the DOJ carried him to the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS), where his role as deputy chief of staff allowed him to work directly with the head of DHS, advising on significant policy, operational, and legal issues facing the department. He is currently the chief legal officer of a publicly traded, Fortune 300 company and America's largest military shipbuilder. Boudreaux leverages his unique, high-level experience in global security matters and his extensive legal expertise to craft breathtaking, insider stories of mystery and intrigue that are ripped from today's headlines.
Easy Money
Robert White
New Pulp Press
9781955036511, $19.95, PB, 232pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Easy-Money-Robert-White/dp/1955036519
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/easy-money-bob-white/1122851313
Synopsis: Wade Cardell is in big trouble. Just minutes after he has been fired from his job at a salvage yard in Northtown, Ohio, he gets into an argument with the boss's nephew on his way out the door that results in the man's death. Now he's a wanted felon and the only one he can call to rescue him so he can get back home in time to see his dying mother before the law grabs him is his cousin, a drug-dealing thug and ex-con with ties to the Aryan Brotherhood. He's also the reason Wade did time in a West Virginia prison.
Wade agrees to go in with his cousin on a scheme to break into a couple's safe while they're away from the house. The one thing Wade had not counted on was getting involved with someone worse than his cousin when it comes to sticking a knife into your back!
Critique: A deftly crafted, action-packed, and simply riveting page-turner of a read from start to finish, "Easy Money" by Robert White showcases the author's authentic gift for the kind of character and narrative driven storytelling style that makes him a master of the genre. "Easy Money" will prove to be a welcome and enduringly popular pick for community library Suspense/Thriller collections. It should be noted that this paperback edition of "Easy Money" from New Pulp Press is also readily available for personal reading lists in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.95).
Editorial Note: Robb White stories and novels feature private investigator Thomas Haftmann: Haftmann's Rules (2011), Saraband for a Runaway (2013), Nocturne for Madness (2015), and Doggerel for Dead Whores (New Pulp, 2019). Thomas Haftmann, Private Eye (2017) is a collection of 15 stories. In 2019, White was nominated for a Derringer. A crime novel, The Russian Heist, won Thriller Magazine's Best Novel of 2019 award, and a short story, "Inside Man," was selected for inclusion in Best American Mystery Stories 2019. A collection of his revenge stories was selected by the Independent Fiction Alliance as a Truly Best Independent Book of 2022. 2nd Place Winner, Whodunit competition, for novella Burning Girl, 2020. (https://www.bookseriesinorder.com/robert-white)
The Fantasy/SciFi Shelf
The Violently Departed
Sarah J. Daley
https://sarahjdaley.com
Angry Robot Books
https://angryrobotbooks.com
9781915998255, $19.99, PB, 320pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Violently-Departed-Sarah-J-Daley/dp/1915998255
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-violently-departed-sarah-j-daley/1147918368
Synopsis: A missing nun found murdered, a school built on secrets, a haunted town, these are why there is a new case for Hero Viridian: half-demon, disgraced ex-nun-turned-investigator.
With the stink of demonic involvement surrounding the murder, who better to deal with it than a woman with something to prove, eyes of literal flame and a direct connection to hell?
However, when those who sought her help turn against her, a vulnerable Hero must rely on an unlikely partner, Oleander Keen -- a Demonhunter who has already tried to kill her!
Critique: Original, exceptional, deftly crafted, and a simply riveting read from start to finish, "The Violently Departed" showcases author Sarah J. Daley's phenomenal character and narrative driven storytelling style that is particularly well suited for the occult/horror fantasy genre. While especially and unreservedly recommended for community library Horror Fantasy collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of dedicated supernatural mystery fans that this paperback edition of "The Violently Departed" from Angry Robot Books is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Editorial Note: Sarah J. Daley (https://sarahjdaley.com) is a former chef who lives and writes in the Chicagoland area with her husband, son and very fat cat. Her debut novel, "Obsidian", was a finalist for the 2022 Compton Crook Award. She has also published with Warhammer's Black Library and continues to churn out work featuring indomitable MCs who get dumped into impossible, and usually violent, situations. She is also a proud stepmother to three adult children who definitely don't consider her wicked.
Velvet of Swords
Joy V. Smith
Independently Published
9798232351793, $12.99), PB, 258pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Velvet-Swords-Joy-V-Smith/dp/B0G31LHGFW
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/velvet-of-swords-joy-v-smith/1143511007
Synopsis: The Terrans had been dismayed when they discovered they weren't the first to colonize Bright Skies. Though the Firstcomers were humanoids, they were so very different -- taller and bulkier with such flexible hands, and their hair was impossible! Patterns that randomly combined colors and then ran in different directions. Sure, some of the women (and men) were intrigued by that, but both parties kept their distance until disagreements arose about which lands were available.
The Firstcomers naturally were sure that they had first choice, and, by the way, the planet's name was Tortun, but humans being humans, there was escalating strife until a Terran killed a Firstcomer.
After the ensuing panic, the Firstcomers came up with a plan to make peace at least possible for coming generations. All must live together one way or another -- in communities and/or in families. With their skill in advanced technology and genetic engineering, they could interbreed. The majority of Terrans refused, but some for various reasons, saw it as a possible solution and volunteered. There were even some matches based on mutual esteem and love.
Critique: Original, exceptional, imaginative, clever, and a fun read from start to finish, "Velvet of Swords" showcases author Joy V. Smith's genuinely impressive, character and narrative driven storytelling style that is ideal for the science fiction adventure genre. Science fiction at its very best, "Velvet of Swords" is especially and unreservedly recommended for the personal reading lists of dedicated SciFi fans and community library Science Fiction & Fantasy collections.
Editorial Note: Joy V. Smith's stories and articles have been published in print magazines, webzines, and anthologies; and her SF has been published in two audiobooks, including Sugar Time. Her books include Strike Three, Sugar Time, Taboo Tech, Detour Trail, Building a Cool House for Hot Times without Scorching the Pocketbook, and a collection of her published short stories: The Doorway and Other Stories. Her ebooks include Hidebound, Velvet of Swords, Cold New Planet, Pretty Pink Planet, Hot Yellow Planet, and Remodeling: Buying and Updating a Foreclosure. (www.goodreads.com/author/show/1283415.Joy_V_Smith)
The Business Shelf
The Heart Work of Modern Leadership
David Grossman
Amplify Publishing Group
https://amplifypublishinggroup.com
9798900260860, $19.95, PB, 304pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Heart-Work-Modern-Leadership-Differentiators/dp/B0G31LH2SD
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-heart-work-of-modern-leadership-david-grossman/1148813797
Synopsis: These turbulent times call for exceptional leadership.
With the publication of "The Heart Work of Modern Leadership: 6 Differentiators of Exceptional Leaders" leadership and change communication expert David Grossman offers a groundbreaking exploration of the corporate leader's role in our era of unprecedented economic complexity.
Drawing on research with his longtime partner, The Harris Poll, Grossman reveals a troubling truth: Only 30% of leaders meet the fast-evolving needs of today's workforce.
Grossman also illuminates the mounting pressures facing the C-suite -- with shareholder value, AI-driven possibilities, geopolitical disruptions, and more.
Additionally, Grossman identifies an adaptive mindset that helps executives thrive in today's rapidly changing environments. Specifically, he cites that exceptional leaders integrate emotional intelligence with strategic thinking. Grossman calls this "leading with their heart in their head."
What does that look like in practice? Compassion with calculation. Empathy with analysis. Values with decisions. And what is the impact? Greater, more sustainable performance throughout the organization.
At the core of "The Heart Work of Modern Leadership" are rare glimpses into twenty-nine founders and executives -- each one an exceptional leader grappling with the accelerating changes of our age.
"The Heart Work of Modern Leadership" covers their tough decisions, pivotal choices, and unwavering commitments to their people. Reader's will discover their shared themes and most practical takeaways. They will also learn about the six defining behaviors that set these outstanding performers apart.
"With The Heart Work of Modern Leadership", corporate executives and business managers can move beyond simply managing their people and their pressures. They can build an organization of employees who thrive, develop teams that innovate, and guide their organization to its greatest potential.
Critique: Exceptionally informative, well written, and thoroughly 'reader friendly' in organization and presentation, "The Heart Work of Modern Leadership: 6 Differentiators of Exceptional Leaders" by David Grossman will prove invaluable reading for anyone with a personal or professional interest in workplace communication, leadership, motivation, management, and productive culture. While especially an unreservedly recommended for corporate, community, and college/university library Business Management collections and supplemental MBA curriculum studies lists, it should be noted for MBA students, entrepreneurs, corporate executives, business managers, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that this paperback edition of "The Heart Work of Modern Leadership" from Amplify Publishing is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Editorial Note: David Grossman is Founder and CEO of The Grossman Group, an award-winning consultancy focused on organizational change and communications. As a thoughtpartner(TM) to senior management and advocate for their people, David helps Fortune 1000 companies reshape how they think, operate, and drive performance. He's worked with many clients, including Abbott, Amsted Industries, DHL, General Mills, Grubhub, Kimberly-Clark, Lockheed Martin, Novartis, and Stanley Black & Decker. David's media coverage ranges from "NBC Nightly News" to CBS MoneyWatch, Directors & Boards, and the World Economic Forum. He serves on a number of boards, including the Institute for Public Relations (IPR), the UW-Madison School of Journalism and Mass Communication, and The Plank Center for Leadership in Public Relations. Prior to founding The Grossman Group, David was Director of Communications for McDonald's.
The Core: 8 Principles for Building Strong, Authentic Leadership
Dr. Matt Paden and Dr. L. Ken Jones, authors
Forefront Books
https://www.forefrontbooks.com
9781637635582, $28.00, HC, 240pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Core-Principles-Building-Authentic-Leadership/dp/1637635583
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-core-matt-paden/1148847708
Synopsis: Every leader reaches a moment when skill isn't enough. When the challenge cuts deeper and tests conviction, humility, and heart. "The Core: 8 Principles for Building Strong, Authentic Leadership" takes its readers into that defining space, introducing us to Clint Smith and his mentor, Dr. Bill Jackson, and revealing that the foundation of lasting influence doesn't come from power or position -- it comes from the strength of one's core.
Through the journey of a young man whose plans are upended by tragedy, The Core blends a compelling story of mentorship with timeless principles of leadership. Under Dr. Jackson's guidance (a hospital CEO who leads with quiet strength and deep conviction) Clint discovers that great leadership grows from the inside out.
Part fable, part field guide, "The Core" reveals eight essential principles that form the foundation of authentic leadership:
Work for the good of the people
Keep your ego in check
Embrace truth
Lead with your ears
Show up with grace
Pace yourself and extend the game
Be coachable
Know where you're going and why
Accessible, practical, and deeply inspiring, "The Core" reminds us that leadership is not about power or prestige -- it's about character, consistency, and courage. Whether you're leading in the boardroom, classroom, community, or home, this book will help you build the strength to lead well and live with purpose.
The primary message of "The Core" is that leadership isn't for the few. It is for all of us.
Critique: Original, exceptional, impressively written, organized and presented for the non-specialist general reader having to deal with personal and professional leadership responsibilities, "The Core: 8 Principles for Building Strong, Authentic Leadership" offers a 'real world' practical DIY approach and guide to becoming an effective, successful, and inspiring leader. Eloquent, informatively insightful, and an inherently fascinating and productive read from start to finish, "The Core: 8 Principles for Building Strong, Authentic Leadership" is co-authored by the team of Matt Paden and L. Ken Jones. Especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, and college/university library Leadership/Management collections and supplemental MBA curriculum studies lists, it should be noted for MBA students, academia, and anyone charged with leadership responsibilities that this hardcover edition of "The Core: 8 Principles for Building Strong, Authentic Leadership" from Forefront Books is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99).
Editorial Note #1: Dr. Matt Paden is the President and Managing Partner of Great Days Leadership, where he helps leaders and organizations grow with purpose, integrity, and impact. With more than two decades of experience as an executive, consultant, speaker and coach, Matt specializes in aligning teams around mission, building healthy cultures and developing clear, values-driven leadership. Holding a doctorate in organizational leadership from Pepperdine University, Matt brings a principled yet practical approach to developing leaders and driving organizational change. His work centers on igniting purpose, service, faith, and leadership in others, empowering them to create lasting influence in their workplaces and communities. He lives in Franklin, Tennessee, with his wife and their two children.
Editorial Note #2: Dr. L. Ken Jones was appointed President of Oklahoma Christian University (OC) on May 1, 2023. He and his wife Suzie are natives of Cordell, Oklahoma, where they currently have involvement in farming and ranching. Dr. Jones was educated in the field of Engineering receiving his Ph.D. from Oklahoma State University. His career spans engineering, pulpit preaching, leadership training and higher education leadership. Dr. Jones served as President of Lubbock Christian University (LCU) for nineteen years and Chancellor for five years. He has spent over four decades in Christian higher education and leadership training. Ken and Suzie have two grown children, their spouses and four grandchildren. For years, he has been a frequent speaker in churches, corporations and other groups.
The 4 Streams of Leadership
Dalmo Cirne
https://dalmocirne.com
Peakpoint Press
c/o Skyhorse Publishing
https://www.skyhorsepublishing.com/peakpoint-press
9781510785182, $32.99, HC, 264pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Streams-Leadership-Transform-Yourself-Overachiever/dp/1510785183
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-4-streams-of-leadership-dalmo-cirne/1147556776
Synopsis: Most management books tell you to focus downstream on your team and projects. But with the publication of "The 4 Streams of Leadership: Transform Yourself Into an Overachiever Manager", Dalmo Cirne (a seasoned leader with three decades of experience at companies like Disney and Workday) reveals that truly exceptional managers simultaneously navigate four essential streams:
Reservoir: Maximize self-awareness, decision-making, and your own productivity capacity.
Downstream: Build high-performing teams, deliver projects on time, and establish efficient operations.
Upstream: Communicate effectively with executives, secure resources, and align with stakeholders.
Sidestream: Collaborate with peers, optimize cross-functional relationships, and build social capital.
Drawing on his experience transforming startups and Fortune 500 companies alike, Cirne provides actionable frameworks for leadership development across each stream, showing what to do, why it matters, when to do it, and how to execute flawlessly. Unlike theoretical leadership books full of inspirational anecdotes but little hands-on guidance, "The 4 Streams of Leadership" delivers battle-tested systems that work in the real world.
Whether you're transitioning from individual contributor to first-time manager, feeling stuck in middle management, or aiming to upgrade your leadership toolkit, "The 4 Streams of Leadership" is a comprehensive guide gives you everything you need to grow professionally, align with executives, facilitate collaboration, and lead your teams to success.
Do not settle for managing just one stream when your success demands mastering all four. Transform yourself into an overachiever manager today.
Critique: Informatively enhanced for the reader's benefit with the inclusion of a nine page Introduction, a four page Afterword, an Appendix (Sustainable Productivity Velocity), a two page listing of Reference and Further Reading, and an eight page Index, "The 4 Streams of Leadership: Transform Yourself Into an Overachiever Manager" by Dalmo Cirne is exceptionally well written and thoroughly 'reader friendly' in organization and presentation. While especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, and college/university Business Management/Leadership/Motivation collections and supplemental MBA curriculum studies lists, it should be noted for MBA students, academia, corporate executives, entrepreneurs, and business managers that this hardcover edition of "The 4 Streams of Leadership: Transform Yourself Into an Overachiever Manager" from Peakpoint Press is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $16.99).
Editorial Note: Dalmo Cirne (https://dalmocirne.com) the founder and CEO of Streams Group, speaker, trainer, and seasoned leader with three decades of accumulated experience in leadership, management, technology, and mathematics. He has a degree in Mathematics from SUNY (State University of New York) and is a recognized inventor with one granted patent and three more filed and under evaluation. He has built new technology and organizations, and helped lead new companies through IPO. He has lead teams and helped build products for Apple, Disney, and Workday. He has published extensively on artificial intelligence and machine learning, and at Workday, he assembled the ML and AI teams for financials.
The Philosophy Shelf
The Human Idea: Earth's Newest Ecosystem
Anne Riley
https://anne-riley-author.com
Ideasphere World Publishing
9798992538502, $15.99, PB, 278pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Human-Idea-Earths-Newest-Ecosystem/dp/B0F2SWQWXP
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-human-idea-anne-riley/1146323766
Synopsis: Explore the profound questions of existence in "The Human Idea: Earth's Newest Ecosystem", a groundbreaking work by Anne Riley. This compelling narrative delves into humanity's quest for understanding -- why we exist and how our unique capacity for inquiry sets us apart from all other life forms.
In "The Human Idea" Riley challenges readers to reconsider the foundations of human existence by examining the intricate tapestry of life that predates us. With a blend of scientific insight and philosophical exploration, she reveals how the fundamental principles of survival, honed over billions of years, can guide us in navigating the complexities of modern life.
"The Human Idea" covers:
The Ecosystem of Life: Understand the interconnectedness of all living beings and the evolutionary journey that has shaped our existence.
The Power of Ideas: Learn how the human ability to generate and act upon ideas has transformed our survival strategies, leading to both remarkable achievements and significant challenges.
The Ideasphere: Explore the concept of the ideasphere, a new framework for understanding human interactions and societal structures, and how we can harness this knowledge to create a sustainable future.
Riley's work is not just a reflection on our past but a call to action for our future. As we stand at a pivotal moment in history, grappling with existential threats like climate change and social inequality, The Human Idea offers a roadmap for applying the lessons of nature to build a better world.
In the pages of "The Human Idea", interested readers will join Anne Riley on this enlightening journey to uncover the essence of what it means to be human and how we can thrive in harmony with the life that surrounds us.
Critique: Original, seminal, insightful, thought-provoking, and an inherently fascinating read from start to finish, "The Human Idea: Earth's Newest Ecosystem" by Anne Riley is an extraordinary study in organic evolution and philosophy. Erudite, eloquent, compelling, significant, "The Human Idea" is an valued and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, and college/university library Contemporary Philosophy collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for philosophy students, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that this paperback edition of "The Human Idea" from Ideasphere World Publishing is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $6.99).
Editorial Note: Anne Riley (https://anne-riley-author.com) likes big ideas. Really big ideas. Happiness. Love. The human ecosystem. She also loves to laugh and see the humor in all things human. So, as an author she combines the two disparate parts of her character to write books that are at once deep and thought provoking as well as funny and approachable.
The Self-Help Shelf
6 Steps To Fewer Days That Suck
Deborah Mallow
Wollam Works Publishing
9798218222307, $21.95, HC, 128pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Steps-Fewer-Days-That-Suck/dp/B0F8HYFHQ6
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/6-steps-to-fewer-days-that-suck-deborah-mallow/1147652045
Synopsis: Have you ever felt stuck, worried, fearful, a bit angry, and trapped in negative thought patterns? If it's your wish to get out of your own way, reclaim your true self, and create a life you love, "6 Steps To Fewer Days That Suck: Ditch Unhealthy Habits Unzip A Happier You" by Deborah Mallow is an ideal and effective DIY instructional guide for doing just that.
Mallow serves up this transformational personal growth guidebook offering readers self-improvement essentials to replace unhealthy habits with positive changes. It's not about forcing positivity or ignoring real problems -- it's about making the Daily Decisions to approach life differently.
Essentiall, "6 Steps To Fewer Days That Suck: Ditch Unhealthy Habits Unzip A Happier You" shows how to retrain your brain and finding more joy in everyday life using a solution-based approach in 6 simple steps.
Discover how to reshape your mindset, shift your energy, end self-sabotage, and reveal a happier you with easy-to-implement strategies to:
Enjoy more & worry less: Focus on achieving goals, dreams, and finding your sunshine. Create a life you love: Minimize stress and maximize your confidence. Let go of fear, excuses, procrastination, worry, negativity, anger, and welcome well-being. Cultivate positive energy, resilience, self-love, and happiness.
What makes "6 Steps To Fewer Days That Suck: Ditch Unhealthy Habits Unzip A Happier You" from other such self-help manuals different is the inclusion of mindful insights on each page, surefire best practices, and practical tips. Uncomplicated fixes for anyone dealing with difficult people and problematic situations.
"6 Steps To Fewer Days That Suck: Ditch Unhealthy Habits Unzip A Happier You" is comprised of snippets of encouragement, brief stories, understandable science, thought-provoking questions, helpful prompts, and real action items to help you stay on track and move forward.
Of special note is the inclusion of a lined page at the end of each step for self-improvement notes for the purpose of inspiring:
self-care
life balance
emotional well-being
stress management
positive energy
happiness
"6 Steps To Fewer Days That Suck: Ditch Unhealthy Habits Unzip A Happier You" will motivate you to step up with intentional action and take charge of your life with more purpose and passion. You'll be ready to unleash your true potential, stop zapping your joy, become the director of your life -- and find your sunshine.
Critique: Exceptionally well written and thoroughly 'reader/user' friendly in organization and presentation, "6 Steps To Fewer Days That Suck: Ditch Unhealthy Habits Unzip A Happier You" is an extraordinary and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, and college/university library Self-Help/Self-Improvement collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists readers seeking to effectively address emotional and self-esteem issues that this hardcover edition of "6 Steps To Fewer Days That Suck: Ditch Unhealthy Habits Unzip A Happier You" from Wollam Works Publishing is also readily available in paperback (9798218222314, $14.95) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $7.99).
Editorial Note: Deborah Mallow (https://thedailydecisions.com) is a seasoned positive energy and success coach, and author. Deborah's unique career path has been more twisty than a pretzel, but it led her to create The Daily Decisions -- a self-improvement toolkit that makes positivity feel less like a chore and more like a dance party! With her Positive Energy Club, she's here to remind you that it's not about forcing positivity. It's about approaching life differently.
PRIME
Ken Ro, MD
Independently Published
9798273541511, $19.99, PB, 206pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/PRIME-Physicians-Reclaiming-Redefining-Strength/dp/B0G1L2JBZ5
Synopsis: What if you could stop practicing sick care and start mastering the principles of restoration and authentic vitality? Imagine waking up feeling rested and focused, with the energy to lead at work and be present at home? What if the very difference that once made you feel like an outsider became your PRIME -- the unique advantage that allows you to see what others miss in the chaos?
With the publication of "PRIME: How To Win The Second Half Of Life: A Modern Physician's Guide to Reclaiming Your Energy, Redefining Your Story, and Living with Strength, Clarity, and Purpose", Dr. Ken Ro (a double board-certified physician and creator of the RECLAIM(TM) Method), draws from 35 years in medicine, and his own deeply personal journey through burnout and rediscovery, to reveal a science-based roadmap for turning fatigue into fuel and survival into significance.
Deftly blending precision medicine, longevity science, and raw, personal storytelling, "PRIME" takes readers inside gripping moments from the emergency room, intimate reflections from a life under pressure, and the hard-won lessons that come when success no longer feels like enough.
"PRIME" covers:
How the RECLAIM(TM) Method rebuilds both your performance engine (hormones, energy) and the crucial identity engine (mindset, purpose) that sustains lasting results (most programs only focus on one).
The true cost of "Fortress Fatigue" - and why the armor that once kept you safe is now suffocating the connection you need most.
Why your VO max isn't just a fitness metric - it's the single greatest predictor of longevity and how strategic movement can dramatically improve your life's "credit score".
Which "healthy" foods you might be consuming that are actually fueling chronic inflammation and dismantling your body (Dr. Ro's shocking results after his 8-month vegan experiment).
The unspoken pain and childhood silence you carry that manifests physically - and how your body is confessing what your mind refuses to admit.
The critical realization that your difference is not your weakness but your PRIME - the advantage that allows you to see what others miss in chaos.
Why the "Dad Bod" phenomenon and the "skinny-fat" physique are not just jokes but physiologies, and how a biology designed for famine now hoards energy while starving your brain and heart.
How Dr. Ro's personal experience with literal financial bankruptcy revealed why wealth and worth are fundamentally different currencies, and why security is a mindset, not a number.
The profound reason why "Do No Harm" is no longer enough -- and the declaration of purpose, The Nova Oath(TM), that guides modern ethical leadership.
The simple truth that love is a verb -- and why your partner, children, and colleagues need your authentic presence more than your perfect performance.
The two essential questions that pierce all defenses and compel you to choose gratitude or regret when facing your future self in the arena.
The primary message of "PRIME" is that it ss time to let go of the armor, stop apologizing for who you are, and claim the assignment to live with impact and unwavering presence.
Critique: Informative, inspiring, insightful, exceptional and thoroughly 'reader friendly' in organization and presentation, "PRIME: How To Win The Second Half Of Life: A Modern Physician's Guide to Reclaiming Your Energy, Redefining Your Story, and Living with Strength, Clarity, and Purpose" is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, and college/university library Self-Help/Self-Improvement collections. It should be noted that this paperback edition of "PRIME" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).
Editorial Note: Ken Ro, MD is a board-certified physician in Internal and Emergency Medicine and the founder of Back in the Game Men(TM), a precision-medicine practice dedicated to helping high-performing men reclaim their vitality, focus, and confidence. After three decades on the front lines of modern healthcare, Dr. Ro witnessed firsthand how countless men were treated for symptoms while the deeper roots of burnout and disconnection were ignored. His signature RECLAIM(TM) Method was born from that realization -- a system that blends advanced lab analytics, neuroscience, and purpose-driven coaching to restore both performance and peace.
Bounce Forward: 21 Tools to Live a Life Beyond Limits
Amy Purdy
https://amypurdy.com
Amplify Publishing Group
https://amplifypublishinggroup.com
9798891386365, $30.00, HC, 264pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Bounce-Forward-Tools-Beyond-Limits/dp/B0GBZNYTGB
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/bounce-forward-amy-purdy/1149013671
Synopsis: When Amy Purdy was nineteen, a sudden and severe case of bacterial meningitis resulted in the loss of both legs below the knee and nearly took her life. Her dream of becoming a professional snowboarder seemed impossible until she transformed her grief and loss into fuel and rebuilt her life one tiny step at a time.
Amy not only became a trailblazer in her sport -- she made history as a three-time Paralympic medalist. She went on to inspire millions around the world, tour with Oprah Winfrey, deliver unforgettable performances on Dancing with the Stars, and speak on some of the largest stages in the world.
Two decades later, after rebuilding her life and career, Amy faced a new battle. A sudden and devastating injury threatened her ability to walk again, and she began a profound journey of physical, emotional, and spiritual healing.
With the publication of "Bounce Forward: 21 Tools to Live a Life Beyond Limits", Amy shares this raw and intimate chapter of her life, showing that true resilience is not about returning to who you once were but becoming someone stronger, wiser, and more whole.
Through gripping stories, practical science, and soulful reflection, she introduces twenty-one actionable tools that helped her shift from:
Grief to hope
Helpless to empowered
Limited to limitless
Criticizing your body to celebrating it
Giving up to finding your way
And more...
Warm, practical, and profoundly healing, "Bounce Forward" is a guidebook for rebuilding after your most difficult moments that offers everyday practices for moving through adversity, reconnecting with your inner strength, and rising into a more fulfilling life.
Critique: An original and eloquent blending of intensely personal memoir that will have a universal resonance and a motivationally inspiring guide to recovering from horrific tragedy, "Bounce Forward: 21 Tools to Live a Life Beyond Limits" is an extraordinary and unreservedly recommended pick for personal, professional, community, and college/university library Self-Help/Self-Improvement and Contemporary American Biography/Memoir collections.
Editorial Note: Amy Purdy (https://amypurdy.com) is a three-time Paralympic medalist, a trailblazer in the sport of snowboarding, and a New York Times bestselling author who has been published in ten languages. She is one of the world's most sought-after motivational and corporate speakers and was named one of Oprah's SuperSoul 100 Thought Leaders. A leader on both resilience and creativity, she is a passionate, visceral storyteller whose onstage presentations "Living Beyond Limits" and "Bouncing Forward" have inspired millions around the globe to take charge of their own lives and rewrite their future.
The Metaphysical Studies Shelf
The Golden Book of Wisdom
Fotoula Adrimi
Isis School of Holistic Health
https://www.theisisschoolofholistichealth.com
9781999641009, $18.00, PB, 352oo
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Golden-Book-Wisdom-spirituality-shamanism/dp/1999641000
Synopsis: "The Golden Book of Wisdom: Ancient Spirituality and Shamanism for Modern Times" by Fotoula Adrimi provides a roadmap to spiritual awakening, accessible to all, that reaches into the depths of the soul to retrieve the diamond within.
Fotoula Adrimi is a shamanic practitioner, healer and teacher who has combined her extensive shamanic experience with ancient esoteric knowledge to create "The Golden Book of Wisdom" -- a work that has inspired hundreds of people to find their own understanding of shamanic spirituality.
For those who wish to make sense of their life and soul journey, from a shamanic perspective, The Golden Book of Wisdom opens a door for deep realizations and awakening. It is comprised of 24 teachings about the physical and spiritual reality and how to journey in the in-between. Each individual teaching is explained thoroughly through theory, stories, poetry, and real life examples, whilst the accompanying spiritual practices take the reader step by step into their own experience of direct revelation.
Critique: Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "The Golden Book of Wisdom: Ancient Spirituality and Shamanism for Modern Times" is a very special and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, and college/university library Metaphysical Studies collections in general, and supplemental Shamanic Studies curriculums in particular. It should be noted by students, academia, practitioners, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that this paperback edition of "The Golden Book of Wisdom: Ancient Spirituality and Shamanism for Modern Times" from the Isis School of Holistic Health is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $10.99).
Editorial Note: Fotoula Adrimi is the director of The ISIS School of Holistic Health, an international school of healing arts, spiritual development and inner transformation, based in Glasgow, Scotland. She shares channellings from ISIS and other enlightened beings on the ISIS School's monthly newsletter and through energy transmissions. There is more information on Fotoula's work online at: http: //www.theisisschoolofholistichealth.com
Earthing The Dragon: Glastonbury and the 60's
Adam Stout
Green Magic Publishing
https://greenmagicpublishing.com
9781915580283, $19.95, PB, 158pp
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Earthing-Dragon-Glastonbury-Adam-Stout/dp/1915580285
Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/earthing-the-dragon-glastonbury-and-the-60s-adam-stout/1147427488
Synopsis: In 1967 the original New Age Travellers journeyed horse-drawn down the greenways to Glastonbury, following signs and portents in the sky.
"Earthing The Dragon: Glastonbury and the 60's" by Adam Stout is the story of why they went, what they found and what came after. It's a tale of flying saucers and the Glastonbury Zodiac, of Geoffrey Ashe and the return of King Arthur, of Wellesley Tudor Pole and the return of St Michael, of John Michell, of ley-lines and earth energies, of dreamers and activists, of LSD and sacred geometry, and how the Glastonbury Fair of 1971 was designed to stimulate the Earth's nervous system with joy.
Critique: Fascinating, informative, engaging, deftly written, thoroughly 'reader friendly' in organization and presentation, "Earthing The Dragon: Glastonbury and the 60's" by Adam Stout is an extraordinary and fun read from start to finish. Of immense appeal to fans of New Age themed memoirs and histories, "Earthing The Dragon: Glastonbury and the 60's" is an unreservedly recommended pick for community and college/university library New Age and Metaphysical Studies collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that this paperback edition of "Earthing The Dragon: Glastonbury and the 60's" from Green Magic Publishing is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.37, Amazon).
Critique: Dr Adam Stout has been studying the phenomenon of Glastonbury for far too long. He is the author of Glastonbury Holy Thorn: Story of a Legend. There is an online listing of his books at Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/1498119.Adam_Stout
James A. Cox
Editor-in-Chief
Midwest Book Review
278 Orchard Drive
Oregon, WI 53575-1129
phone: 1-608-835-7937
e-mail: mbr@execpc.com
e-mail: mwbookrevw@aol.com
www.midwestbookreview.com
Copyright ©2001
Site design by Williams Writing, Editing &
Design